In a candid podcast appearance, Michelle Obama addressed ongoing rumors about her marriage to former President Barack Obama, asserting that any issues would be publicly known. She reflected on choosing personal well-being over public expectations and spoke about the strength of their relationship.
Michelle Obama has once again pushed back against persistent speculation about her marriage to former United States President Barack Obama, making it clear that any serious issues in their relationship would not be kept under wraps. Speaking on The Diary of a CEO podcast, the former US First Lady addressed the recurring rumors, saying, “If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it.” She emphasised her openness, noting that even her family — including her brother Craig Robinson, co-host of the IMO podcast — would be the first to know. “I would be problem-solving in public,” she said, adding, “I’m not a martyr.”
Robinson, who has frequently appeared on Michelle Obama’s podcasts, chimed in with a light-hearted comment, joking that if the couple were facing issues, he’d probably be hosting a podcast with Barack Obama instead.
Rumours sparked by inauguration absence
This isn’t the first time Michelle Obama has addressed questions about her marriage. The speculation intensified after she skipped President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January. On a past episode of IMO with Robinson and actress Taraji P. Henson, she explained her decision to sit out the event, saying it was a personal choice that was met with backlash.
“My decision to skip the inauguration – or my decision to make choices at the beginning of this year that suited me – were met with such ridicule and criticism,” she said. Some interpreted her absence as a sign of marital trouble. “People couldn’t believe that I was saying no for any other reason. They had to assume that my marriage was falling apart,” she recalled.
On marriage: ‘It’s hard for us too, but I wouldn’t trade it’
Opening up further about her relationship during the podcast, Obama shared a frank perspective on the long-term work involved in sustaining a marriage. “The beauty of my husband and our partnership is that neither one of us was ever really, ever going to quit at it, because that’s not who we are. And I know that about him. He knows that about me.”
She said part of the reason she discusses these things openly is to challenge idealised portrayals of marriage. “I talk about these things because I think that people give up too quickly on marriage,” the Becoming author said. “Because there is so much friction built into the equation. And if you’re not getting help, talking about it, going to therapy, just understanding how things are changing, and how do you continuously renegotiate your relationship with your partner, I just see people quitting,” she continued.
“Because they look at me and Barack and go, ‘#couple goals.’ And I’m like, it’s hard,” she said. “It’s hard for us too. But I wouldn’t trade it. He is — as the young people say — he is ‘my person’.”
The couple married in October 1992 and have two daughters, Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23. Through years of public attention and private growth, they continue to model a grounded and enduring partnership.
